Safety device for platforms



March 11 ,1924.

HASGSASS J. RABB, JR

SAFETY DEVICE FOR PLATFORMS Filed March l. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 arch 11 1924.

' J. RABB, JR

SAFETY DEVICE FOR PLATFORMS Filed March l. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 @Mommy sent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1924.

JESSE RABB, JR., OF

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR PLATFORMS.

Application Ied March 1,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that lf, Jnssn Rass, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in thc county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Platforms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety devices for use in connection with railroads and has for its object to provide station platforms with an automatically actuated guard to prevent passengers from, accidentally falling from the platform on the railroad track.

A further object of the invention is to` provide means whereby the verticallyT movable guard may be so connected with the conventional air brake system that the guard may or may not be lowered by the train, according to whether the same is a local or an express. A still further object of the invention is to provide means releasable by instrumentalities connected with the train whereby the guard will be, positively maintained in its operative upright position until released by the said instrumentalities, thereby preventing accidental orV surreptitious lowering of the guard when the train is ab Other :objects will appear from a reading of the following detailed description in connection with the vdrawings apl pended hereto, and made a part hereof.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a top view partly in section of the apparatus. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the platform and the railway car disclosing the operating mechanism. Figure 3 is a detail view of the pawl and ratchet mechanism for maintaining the guard in a definite. position, and Figure 4 is a sectional view of the railway car disclosing the tripping mechanism and the operating connections therefor.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings whe-rein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts, A designates the conventional passenger platform, B a well or pit formed therein, providing means Jfor receiving the reciprocating weight C, which has attached thereto thecable D connected at its outer end to the reciprocating guard E. It will, therefore, be seen that the weight normally tends to maintain the guard in its upright operative position. The guard E has attached thereto a cable F, which cable is maintained in position at its lower end 192s. Serial No. 622,110.

by means of a pivotal roller (l. The cable passes around this roller and is connected at its outer end with a slidable abutment H. The train is provided with a trip mechanism I which is adapted to engage the said abutment and slide the same longitudinally with respect to thc track, which movement results in the lowering of the guard bj.' means of the cable F. ln order to positively maintain the guard in its upright position when the train is not adjacent the passenger platform, the wall is provided with a member having teeth l( which are engaged by a spring pawl L, which pawl is connected with a further cable lli. The said cable M is also maintained in a vertical position with respect to the platform by means of a second pivotally mounted roller and is likewise connected at its other end with the said sliding abutment H. ltwill, therefore, be seen that upon actuation of the sliding abutment H by the trip member I that both cables will be operated, one to release the pawl and ratchet mechanism, and the other to lower the guard in opposition to the weight C. lt will he seen that after the train passes the passenger platform the weight will alitomatically raise the `rua-rd. which guard will be again secured in its upright position by the spring pawl L. The vertical movement of the weight will likewise pull back the abutment H to its normal position b v means of the cable F attached to the lower end of the guard. O represents a connection with the conventional air line for the braking system of a railroad by means of which the operator of an express car may cause a depression of the plunger l) by the actuation of a suitable. valve When the piston is depressed it will move the member ll transversely with4 respect to the train, which movement of said member will rock the trip I to an offset position, in which position the said trip will be out of line with the plunger H, and thereby be inoperative so that the position of the gua-rd will not, when the plunger is caused to assume this position be disturbed. lt will be noted that the plunger is pivoted to the car at S to permit such rocking motion. However, the normal position of the plunger will be vertical so that the device, unless operated as aforesaid will be operative.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in the construction, arrangement and operation of the parts may be used without departing from the spirit ot the invention, as expressed in the ap )ended claims.

daving thus described my invention, what l claim is:

l. A safety apparatus for passenljeil plattortas, comprising` a. vertically movable safety guard, a weight connected with said guard tor automatically maintaining the same in its operative upright position, means tor pulling down said guard to its inoperative position by ins-trumentalities connectedv with an approaching train.

2. In a. safety guard tor railway plat-l forms, means tor automatically holding said guard in its upright position, ot' a railroad track, a slidable abutment associated with said track having connections with the movable guard, of a movable vehicle, and means associated with the movable vehicle for engaging the said sildablcl abutment to lower the railroad guard when the movable vehicle is adjacent tbe platform. Y

B. A safety apparatus for railroad platforms comprising a verticalliY movable sate ty guard located in proximity to the platt'orm, said platform having a well therein. a weight adapted to travel in said well, said weight being` connected with said zguard to norn'ially maintain the same in its operative upright position, and instrumentalities connected with an approaching' Vehicle adapted to automaticallyv lower the guard when the vehicle is adjacent the plat-form.

4l. A safety apparatus tor railroad platforms, comprising a movable guard normally maintainedin operative position controlling means 'for said guard located adjacent a railroad track` a trip mechanism associated with the train travelling' on said track for engagement with. the controlling;` means to automatically lower the same upon the approach of the train, said trip mechanism havingA connections with the air line ot the train whereby the said trip mechanism may bemoved to either operative or inoperative position.

5. A safety apparatus for railway platforms comprising a movable guard normally maintained in an operative position, controlling means for said guard located ad-V jacent a railroad track, a tripl mechanism associated with the train travelling on said track tor engagement with the said controlline` means to automatically lower the same upon the approach of the train, said trip mechanism being pivotally connected with the train and adapted to be laterally moved around its pivotal connection to render the same out ot alignment with the controlling means on in operative relation therewith.

(i. ln a safety apparatus 'for railway plattornzs comprising a movable guart located in proximity to the pl attorm, said guard bein;v maintained nofmall)vv in an upright operative position, and a railway track adjacent said platform, controlling means located in close proximity to said track, connections between said controllingY meansl and said guard 'for lowering the guard upon the approach olf the train, a trip mechanism asi social-ed with said train and pivotally con-V nected thereto and means :tor moving said trip nii-xchanism around its pivotal connection to either an operative or inoperative position with respect to they said controlling means.

T. 'The combination with the railroad platiorm ot' movable guard disposed adjacent one edge thereot, a weight located in said plattorm, connections between said weight.

and said plat'torni adapted to normally urge the platform in its operative juj'iright position. said plat'iorm comprising a rack alongv the inner side thereof, a. spring pawl associated with said guard, and adapted to engage said rack to positively maintain the guard in a definite position. and to prevent. accidental lowering` thereof ot a railroac track, controlling` means associated with saidirailroad tracl-L' adapted to be actuated by an ap-, proacliingiA train, connections between said controlling means and said guard and. spring pawl adapted to be actuated by said controllingmeans to release said spring pawl 'trom engagement with the rack and to lower the said guard against the torce of said weight, upon the actuation ot said controllingmeans by the approaching train.

ln testimony whereof I ailix my signature. i

Jessi@V sans, JR. 

